Generally speaking, the goal of medication treatment in autism is to ameliorate symptoms or symptom domains, such as compulsive behaviors, hyperactivity, mood disturbance, and temper outbursts that can interfere with an individual’s development and learning. At present there are no standard medications that effectively treat major core symptoms of autism – the social deficits, speech and language abnormalities, and restricted interests that define the ASDs. As suggested in previous chapters, core symptoms are best approached with educational, behavioral, and habilitative interventions. This chapter will review the research on pharmacologic treatment of specific symptom domains associated with autism. Based on this research and on clinical experience, recommendations will be made with regard to ways in which medications can best be used to treat children with these symptoms.

The chapter will conclude with a discussion of pharmacotherapy and nutritional interventions from the realm of complementary and alternative medicine. These treatments are rarely symptom-specific, and advocates for their use sometimes claim a broader aim: to reverse core symptoms or even “cure” autism.